Tips on Setting up All-Ages Shows
By Wayne Arthurson
Autarky Communications
So,
you want to put on a show, eh? That's a nice idea. A great way to get exposure for
your band and a good way to get a good gig. But it takes a bit of organization in order
to pull it off. You gotta plan almost everything in advance and be ready for the
unexpected. All-ages shows are great, but for the most part they're very disorganized
and they usually have lousy sound. With some planning, a little hard work and some
arm-twisting, you can pull it off and maybe even make money at it. Here are a some tips
on how to set one up.
The first thing you have to do is have someone in command. All-ages shows tend to be
group efforts and too many punks can spoil the mohawk. There has to be one person to
make the decisions and to ensure that everything has been taken care of. Is that you?
Good, then take command. Don't be wishy washy about the details. In a nice sort of way,
let everyone know that it's your show. Delegate responsibilities, yeah, but keep on top
of things just in case someone doesn't hold up their end. If someone isn't doing
the job they're supposed to do, such as book the PA by a certain time, then take
that job away from them and do it yourself. Be nice, but be firm. Make sure everyone
knows their duties beforehand, so if you do take over their job because they aren't
doing it, they won't be surprised. They might be pissed off, but they couldn't do
their job and the show's the important thing here. Keep on top of things and keep
in touch with the people helping you.
THE HALL
Once in command (don't be like Patton though), the first thing you have to do is book
the hall. You've probably been to similar all-ages shows before, so which halls did you
like? Try to get one with a stage; it gives a more professional feel to the show and it
will keep any moshers from banging into your equipment. Go for a hall that has room for
100-200, but not too big. Book the hall at least six weeks in advance. Phone around to
all the community type halls in your city and get quotes. Be up front with them about
your all-ages show. If they don't want you, try someone else. Someone will rent you a
hall especially if you act professionally. Try to get a hall near major
bus/subway/train
routes. Most kids don't have a car so if they can use the transit system to get to your
show, then great. Also look at a hall near one or two high schools. If it's in walking
distance, more kids will show up.
Once you've found your hall, you'll probably have to pay a holding charge or damage
deposit. This is usually equal to the rent and SHOULD BE REFUNDABLE. When you book
the hall and give them a holding fee, get a receipt and leasing terms. If they won't
give that to you, find another hall. Don't let anyone push you around and/or convince
you that they can be trusted. This is a business situation and if anybody's offended
that you asked for a receipt or for leasing terms, too bad. Get it anyway.
The average cost for a hall in my city (Edmonton, Canada) is about $300 plus $300
refundable damage deposit. Check around for prices in your city.
Instead of booking a community hall, try one of the local clubs. Sometimes they may do
an all-ages show. Just ask. The worst they can say is no. Also look for theatres and
performing arts centre. There's a place in Edmonton that you can book for $450 a night
and that includes a PA and soundman, ticket takers at the front door. That's a good
price and they'll even run a concession during the show and for some extra bucks print
some tickets and move back a few front seats to allow for a mosh pit. Look around for
places like that.
When you book your hall, you'll probably set a key pick up time. Give yourself at least
six hours before the doors open. When you pick up the key, you'll probably do a
run-through of the place with the landlord. Make note of any previous damage, etc.
and write it down. Also note these things with the landlord. They should also have
a list of clean-up duties that you'll need to do before you close the hall after the
show. These should be basic duties such as sweep the floor, put the chairs away, dump
out the garbage and ashtrays. You should not be responsible for cleaning the walls,
cleaning the toilets and/or anything heavy duty. Make sure that list is in writing and
set out in some sort of leasing agreement. Once you've done a quick check of the hall
and read the contract, sign the agreement and take the key. Now the hall is yours. Do
another check for yourself, making note of outlets for the sound board, onstage amps
etc. Check out the front door situation and determine where you'll set up the table to
sell tickets. If there are chair and tables to set out, do so know. Keep most of the
floor open and just have chairs and tables along the walls. Distribute ashtrays and
garbage cans liberally throughout the hall. When the show is finished and the bands
have loaded out, clean up the all according to the stipulations of the lease agreement.
Check the entire hall including the bathrooms for any damage or messes. Have your
friends help you. Once everything is clean, do one last check of the hall and then
shut off the lights and lock the door. Drop off the key as arranged and you should
pick up your refundable damage deposit at a later date. If you've done your job,
you should get all your money back. If they deduct money from you, find out why.
Stand up for yourself if you feel the deduction is unwarranted. If there is damage,
you'll have to accept the loss.
The Bands
This is probably the easiest thing of all. You know lots of band and they need a show.
Pick the bands you like or can work with and ask them to be part of your show. Most
bands will do it for free and you should not (at first) offer them money, unless you
make a profit. Then split the money between the bands or buy pizza at the end of the
show. Offer the bands a chance to sell their crap at the show so they can make some
money. If you want to get a bigger local band to draw a bigger crowd, ask them to be
part of the show. If they want money, tell them you're some local guy putting on a show
and are looking for their support. They may be happy with selling stuff at the show,
but they still may ask for some money. What you guarantee them will depend on your
relationship with them and how many people you think they can draw. This one is up
to your own judgement. But you should have no problem getting enough good bands to
perform for free.
Pick bands that fit together but don't sound the same. Don't have five surf punk bands
in the show because then people will get sick of it. Mix up the styles a little bit but
don't deviate too much. If you play in a band, book bands that fit with you.
Once you have all the bands booked, work out a line up. You know these bands and you
know what level they are so use your judgement to set the lineup. And just because
it's your show, it doesn't mean your band is the headliner, unless you are the best
band in town or in this group. If there's a better or more well-known band on the bill,
they should headline.
Make sure all the bands show up at the hall on the day of the show about two to three
hours before doors open. This gives them time to load in their gear and maybe do a
quick soundcheck (if you want). One thing you don't want is bands loading in while
the show is going on. This looks really unprofessional and takes away from what is
happening onstage. Once the bands load in and/or do a soundcheck, they can leave and
come back about 1/2 hour before their performance. Give them an estimated time of when
you'll think they'll be on. Most bands will come at the start of the show to see the
other bands. Make sure you set off some space in the hall for gear storage.
GEAR
You will need a PA and it should be a good one. Do you have one? If so, great. If not,
then check with the other bands to see what they have. Maybe together you can make up
a PA but you're better off renting. Maybe someone you know at a music store can give
you a good price. Maybe the guy that recorded your demo can help out. Think about who
you know and see if they can help you. It's time to network here. Prices for PA's vary
depending on the size. I'm not a sound expert so determine the size of your hall, ask
around to the music places and get quotes. One trick is to give them the size of your
hall, hear what they suggest and then pick the next smaller PA. With the PA, you will
need mikes, stands, monitors, a soundboard, etc. What kind and how many mikes do you
have? Do you have some monitors for rehearsal? How bout the other bands? Check it out.
Also check with the other bands to see if they will use somebody else's gear. Will
your drummer let all the other drummers use his kit and will they use his kit? Try
to convince them to because it will save a lot on turnover time. Once a kit is miked
and checked, it's set for the night. Maybe your bass player or guitarist will let
others use their amp? This too will save on turnover time. Don't hesitate to ask.
If the stage has lousy lighting, you may want to get some. All you need is two or
three good stage lights on each side of the stage and cords. Forget about a light
board or an automatic runner; all you need is lights and some stands. Again, like
the PA and other gear, check around and compare prices.
YOU WILL NEED A SOUNDMAN. Ask around and get friend to do it for you. Your friend
MUST HAVE experience in this. The sound is the most important part of the show. If
it sucks, people will know. Also check ads in bargain papers, in music stores, etc.
for a soundman. They may have their own gear and could provide a low-cost alternative
to music rental. Unless you are the best soundman available, you should not do sound
for the show, you've got too many other things to worry about. If you are the best
soundman, have a partner work with you to set up the show.
Set up the PA right after you get the key to the hall. You have to make sure
everything is set and you have enough cords, mikes, etc. Set the soundboard off
to the side and put a couple of tables around it to protect it. If you've decided
to use the same drum kit for the same show, get it miked and soundchecked ASAP. When
the first band on the bill shows up, get them set up and do a sound check. Check the
monitors at this time. Your soundman should be able to check the other bands during
the changeover. If you want to sound check all the bands, then start with the headliner
and work your way backward through the bill. That way the last band checked is the
first
band up and they can leave their gear onstage.
SECURITY/VOLUNTEERS
Most of the all-ages show I've been to don't need a lot of security. You'll need at
least two people at the front door to take and sell tickets and to stamp hands. You
might also need on other person, preferably a male, to check on stamps and to maybe,
search some bags. Use your friends, that's what's they're there for. You may need one
or two male security guys at the front of the stage. For the most part, they just have
to stand there, but they might have to stop people from climbing onstage. Do not allow
stage diving. I know it can be fun and adds to the excitement of the show, but if
someone gets hurts, you're responsible. If you plan to do shows on a regular basis
and book out of town bands to attract bigger and bigger crowds, consider getting
insurance. But with the shows I do, mostly local independent bands, I've had no
problems and I can usually convince somebody from the bands to help out.
If you are expecting a big rowdy crowd, consider hiring someone. In Edmonton, the
local Rugby Association provides this service. They're so popular that they provide
security for all the big shows in town as well as the little ones. They're really nice
and don't have that security guard attitude. Again, check around.
You will also need someone to run a concession. Most halls have a bar area and having
a concession is a good way to make a few extra bucks. Buy cans of pop (Coke, Sprite
and Orange are fine) in bulk from a warehouse store. It usually works out to 30 cents
a can (here in Canada) and you can charge a dollar per can at the concession. Do the
same thing with chips. Make sure you have $25 at the door and $10 at the concession
to make change.
TICKETS
Depending on the hall size, print out about 200 or so tickets. Go to a ticket printer
or do it yourself using yours or someone else's printer. Have the name of the show, the
hall address, the door opening and start times, and the price on the ticket. That's it.
Local independent record stores and skateboard shops will probably sell tickets for you
in advance. Charge two prices, one in advance and one at the door. For a basic
all-ages
show with mostly local bands it's $5 in advance/$6 at the door (at least up here).
Whatever is the going rate where you live should be the price you charge. Make sure
you charge enough to break even, but not too much to scare people away. Watch your
costs on everything.
You can give each band one comp ticket per band member to a maximum of five. One thing
you shouldn't do, and I learned this the hard way, is to rely on the other bands to
sell tickets for you. For my first all ages show, I gave each band 20 tickets to sell
to their friends and family. Most of the bands sold a few and gave me the money and the
leftover tickets. One band, however, gave away most of their tickets or had some friend
hanging outside of the hall, selling tickets to those coming in and pocketing the money
for themselves. That was such a cheap, low-down dirty thing to do that I vowed never to
book that band again and am telling other promoters or bands to blackball them. I put
my money into the show and I was trying to help move the scene along and build support
for local bands. And here these assholes were scalping tickets, basically stealing from
me and the other bands. So if you hear of a band called 50 Cents from Leduc, don't book
them or go to their shows. They even tried to steal some flats of pop from the
concession.
Total assholes.
That incident taught me to keep track off all the tickets and have only myself and
someone I trusted to sell them (outside of the business that already have tickets).
PROMOTION
You should have all the bands booked a month before your show. Once all bands are
booked and the lineup set, do your posters. You can do them on your own using a
computer or someone else's computer. Maybe you know someone with some graphic design
experience and they owe you a favour. Use them. Print one poster, no smaller that 8X10
and copy about 250 (depending on the size of your city). Check for copy prices or got
to someplace like Kinkos and do it yourself. Stick with black and white cause it's
cheaper. Also print off about 100 or so handbills to distribute. One thing you should
try to get is a couple of sponsors. Maybe one of the skateboard shops or records stores
will do it. Ask if they'll pay for the copying of your posters, you'll put them down as
sponsor on the poster. The local independent or campus radio station and/or music
newspaper probably have some sort of sponsorship program so contact them. Getting a
couple of sponsors will help keep costs down and add more promotion punch to your show.
But don't have too many sponsors and don't have competing stores acting as sponsors. If
a skateboard shop agrees to sponsor the show, try not to have another skateboard shop
as another sponsor, unless they don't mind. Ask them about it first.
One month before the show, poster the shit out the city. Do it legally. Use about
100 posters or so, no more than 150. Put posters in all the usual locations especially
in the stores selling tickets. Get the bands to help.
Seven to five days before the show, poster the shit out of the city again. The same
week, drop by the various high schools near the hall and hand out your handbills. If
you're at another show, hand out your handbills. If you're playing at a club or
somewhere else, announce your show and hand out handbills. Make people know the
show is happening. Contact local newspapers, magazines, radio stations and other
media, and tell them about the show. (see story on media relations). Try to talk to
reporters and get a preview story written. Go to the local campus or independent radio
station and ask them to interview you on-air a day or so before the show. They'll help
out. Get your show put on the coming soon listings or whatever listings there are in
your city newspapers or magazines. The more you promote, the more people will come out
to see you.
MISCELLANEOUS
There's a shitload of tiny little details when putting on a show. Try to put the show
on a Saturday during the school year to give you plenty of time to set up and a night
out for the kids. During summer Thursday or Friday's are good too. Saturday's are
still the best. Try to start the show at 6 or 7 depending of the crowd. Don't run
later than 11 cause kids have to be home by a certain time and many catch the bus.
End the show at 10 or 10:30 if you can. Make sure you have sheets of paper and pens
for a mailing list. Tell the crowd that you have mailing list so you can tell them
about the next show. A good trick is to get all the names on the mailing list and
send them a card announcing the next show. On the card say that if they bring the
card and a friend who pays full price, they will get in for 1/2 price. It's a good
way to build a following and to get more people to your shows. It's also a good way
to announce CD releases and other developments for your band.
Have two or three tables for bands to sell their stuff. Have an ink stamp (waterproof
like at the clubs) to stamp hands. When you print your tickets, stamp the back of them
before selling them to prevent photocopying. Put the following signs near the front
door:
MOSH IF YOU WANT BUT NO STAGE DIVING PLEASE
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SEARCH BAGS FOR ALCOHOL AND DRUGS
NO DRUGS OR BOOZE ALLOWED
WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURY CAUSED AT THIS SHOW
ENJOY THE SHOW BUT TREAT THIS FACILITY WITH RESPECT
THANKS FOR COMING
You might even want to contact the local police precinct and let them know what
you're doing. Here in Edmonton, the cops are pretty nice and even walk beats. If
you tell the neighbourhood cops what's happening, they'll drop in just to see what's
going on. Here, they're really nice about it and they hang out for a few songs and yuk
it up with the bands and kids. I even give em a pop or two. It's good PR for them and
it's nice to have their presence around even for a few minutes just in case some idiots
want to start a couple of fights. If the cops know you're there, and something does
happen, then they'll be there to help you, not to come down on you. I don't know what
the cops are like in your town so it depends on that.
Get yourself some earplugs, you'll need them. Get earplugs for any of your volunteers
cause it can get really loud and your ears will ring for days. If you're running the
show, keep roaming through the hall to make sure everything is running smoothly. Be
prepared to takeover at the concession, at the door or whatever. Sorry, but putting
on your own show doesn't give you the licence to mosh and forget everything else.
Have fun but remember you're responsible for what's happening so stay on top. Check
the bathrooms every 1/2 hour or so. Walk outside to check on things (remember that
band scalping tickets? This is how I caught them.) Have the front door people make
a check for everyone that shows up. Have two lists: those with tickets and those at
the door.
Anything else I can't remember but the most important is to have fun and make sure
everything runs smoothly. If people see that you put on a good show, with quick
changeovers and good music, they'll come to your next show, and the next one and
the next one.
One final important thing is to thank everybody who helped. If you can do it once
just before the show starts and sometime near the end. Make the announcement yourself
from the front centre mike. Tell the people who you are (the organizer of the show or
whatever), thank them for coming, tell them about the mailing list, make them aware of
the stuff the bands have for sale, ask them not to stage dive, thank the bands for
coming, thank everybody who help out and name names. Enjoy the show.
Wayne Arthurson
is an award-winning writer with 10 years experience in journalism, public
relations, media relations and communications. His first novel,
OBIT, a political
satire, was published in 1996. Wayne is the full-time drummer for SMAK an
Edmonton-based punk rock band, the part-time drummer for The Numbers
, an Edmonton-based
mod band and is a founding partner of Ashtray Records. SMAK's first CD,
King Size, will be released this spring.
Autarky Communications
a publishing, promotion and communications company for
organizations, independent record companys, bands, etc.
Suite 412, 10405 Saskatchewan Drive
Edmonton, AB
CANADA
T6E 4R9
autarky@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca
(403) 432-1460
